Visiting the Elwha River

Sections of the Glines Canyon Dam still have to be removed before the river can return to its natural course. (Steve Zugschwerdt/Special to the Kitsap Sun)

Photos located on a mural at the Port Angeles Waterfront Park display the history of the Elwha River. (Steve Zugschwerdt/Special to the Kitsap Sun)

The Elwha River flows into Lake Mills which is now empty. The water level when the Glines Canyon Dam was in place is evident on the barren bank in this photo. (Steve Zugschwerdt/Special to the Kitsap Sun)

A view of Lake Aldwell, now empty, is possible from a viewpoint just before Highway 101 crosses the Elwha River. Steve Zugschwerdt/ Special to the Kitsap Sun

Anne Shaffer, nearshore researcher with Coastal Watershed Institute, and Nicole Harris, a student researcher at Western Washington University, monitor the changes at the mouth of the Elwha River where it enters Fresh Water Bay. (Steve Zugschwerdt/Special to the Kitsap Sun)

The Elwha Dam is now completely removed and the river is returning to its natural channel. The access to this viewpoint is off Highway 112. (Steve Zugschwerdt/Special to the Kitsap Sun)

Lake Mills, formed by the Glines Canyon Dam, is now empty and the Elwha River is cutting a channel through the lake bed. This area is accessible by a steep, half-mile trail off Whiskey Bend Road. (Steve Zugschwerdt/Special to the Kitsap Sun)

Tom Baermann, of Port Angeles, stops to look at a section of the Elwha River below Lake Aldwell from a bridge on the Olympic Discovery Trail. (Steve Zugschwerdt/Special to the Kitsap Sun)

The mouth of the Elwha River where it flows into the sea has forked since two dams were removed. The mouth of the river is a must-see for visitors. (Tom Roorda/Contributed photo)

Randall Walz, education director for the Feiro Marine Life Center, demonstrates on a model of Lake Mills how sediments have moved following removal of Glines Canyon Dam. The marine center is in Port Angeles. (Steve Zugschwerdt/Special to the Kitsap Sun)

Photos located on a mural at the Port Angeles Waterfront Park display the history of the Elwha River. (Steve Zugschwerdt/Special to the Kitsap Sun)